Azavea is seeking an energetic, fast-learning, and creative person to join our team as a Product Manager for our products and services related to elections, politics and open government. If you want a place to grow, learn and share your passion for democracy and open government, this is it. This is a full-time, salaried position.
Azavea is a small (about 30 people), customer-focused company that develops web and mobile software projects that serve the public interest, using geographic data visualization and analysis to aid decision-making and build communities. We are looking for talented, enthusiastic people who are interested in working in a growing company and contributing to a range of geography-related software projects. This position is particularly focused on our work related to elections, politics and open government, a few examples of which include:
DistrictBuilder: http://www.azavea.com/districtbuilder/ – An open source web app for engaging the public with the legislative redistricting process.
- Cicero API: http://www.azavea.com/cicero/ – A global web API for finding legislative districts, searching for elected officials, and generating maps of districts.
- Online Citizens Guide: http://guide.seventy.org/ – Online app to find polling places and elected officials.
- Redistricting The Nation: http://www.redistrictingthenation.org/ – Catalog of compactness metrics for local, state and national legislative districts in the U.S.
- OpenDataPhilly: http://www.opendataphilly.org/ – An open data catalog for the Philadelphia region that was later released as the open source Open-Data-Catalog and is now used in several cities around the world.
What do we mean by a ‘Product Manager’? We are looking for a person that combines a mix of talents, skills, and common sense. While we have a fairly open-ended definition for this position and realize that many types of individuals could fit it, we are looking for someone with attention to detail and excellent communication, writing and networking skills, a good technical background and a passionate interest in elections, politics, global democracy, and open government. This person also has the energy and drive to inspire their colleagues to attain objectives, pursue excellence, and grow Azavea’s presence within the open government and democracy communities.
Your activities will focus on our activities related to elections and politics, in particular the Cicero and DistrictBuilder products. These activities may include the following:
- Manage customer relationships
- Manage partner relationships
- Cultivate current, potential, and new customer relationships
- Manage Cicero database maintenance and expansion
- Manage Cicero development roadmap
- Define, monitor and report on key metrics
- Define tactics, strategies and milestones for improving key metrics
- Craft outreach and business development strategy
- Collaborate with Community Evangelist to cultivate an active community of developers using Cicero
- Collaborate with Community Evangelist and Spatial Analysis team to participate in events, conferences and forums to promote Azavea’s elections and politics products and services
- Develop feature specifications for new Cicero features
- Prioritize and track tasks for Cicero team
- Prepare price quotes and proposals for prospective Cicero customers and partners
- Create project status reports, budgets and cost proposals
- Facilitate team meetings and keep product team informed
- Remove impediments to teams operating productively.
- Resolve and/or escalate issues in a timely fashion.
- Work with other members of management and executive team to prioritize features and manage project budget
- Mentor team members to support their learning and professional growth.
- Communicate effectively with clients to identify needs and evaluate alternative business solutions.
- Identify areas for improvement in internal processes along with possible solutions.
Here’s what we’re looking for
Ideally:
We are not looking for people with a particular set of degrees or specific professional background, but we are looking for someone with the following attributes:
- Interest in elections, democracy and international relations
- Entrepreneurial: we want someone that is interested in building and managing successful internet products and communities of users
- Strong networker: you love to connect with people with shared interests in fair elections, politics and open government. You are not afraid to work a room, listen to projects with which people are engaged and then bring that knowledge back to your team to improve the products and services you manage.
- Curiosity about data and the patterns contained in large databases
- Technical background : you’ve interacted with software and large data sets in some context – that might be oceanography, weather, chemistry or retail, but you understand data
- Resourceful: you are willing to take the materials and tools at hand to get things done
- Strong research skills: can you find a needle in the Internet haystack?
- Ability to write and speak about technical topics to both colleagues and non-technical audiences.
- Passionate attention to detail
- Customer service skills
A plus:
- Some experience with desktop GIS tools (Esri ArcGIS)
- Knowledge of Google Analytics and Google Adwords
- Some experience designing or building software – this doesn’t mean that you are a software engineer, but it would be good if you have collaborated with developers and have a good grasp of how software is built
About Azavea
Azavea is a B Corporation (look it up) that develops innovative, web-based software that uses maps and geographic data to solve complex, interesting, and novel problems. We serve a broad range of clients including governments, non-profit organizations, universities, and businesses. We have particular expertise in natural resources, planning, elections and politics, crime analysis, and cultural resources, but we are engaged in a wide range of other interesting projects. We believe we can make a difference through geographic information technologies and each of our client projects, products and pro bono engagements showcases this commitment.
We offer a competitive salary and benefits package including: performance bonuses, health, dental, vision, retirement plan, flexible hours, and more. We welcome candidates from all walks of life and value diversity in our company and do not discriminate based on race, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, domestic partner status, or medical condition.
Our Philadelphia office is a bright loft space designed for collaboration. It is located near Reading Terminal Market, Chinatown, public transit and other amenities.
View the job description on our website: http://www.azavea.com/about-us/join-us/current-job-openings/product-manager-elections/
To apply, please fill out the questionnaire (found on our website at http://www.azavea.com/about-us/join-us/current-job-openings/product-manager/) and send your responses, cover letter and resume to Rachel Cheetham-Richard at info@azavea.com. We will not consider applicants who have not filled out the questionnaire.
This position is available in our Philadelphia office.
